11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Up By Roots: Healthy Soil & Trees in the Built Environment

Trees need large quantities of healthy soil in order to grow. Meeting this requirement, along with considerations such as good water holding capacity, adequate drainage, and balanced chemical and organic composition is difficult and expensive in the urban landscape. To design systems that work in urban settings, it’s important to have a clear understanding of tree biology and soil, and to appreciate below ground space limitations such as competition from structures, utilities and engineering compaction requirements.

• Take away ideas to solve the most common urban soil problems
• Understand the important role biology and soil science play when designing tree soil systems
• Explore alternative systems to expand soil volumes under pavement
  

James Urban, FASLA
Landscape Architect
James Urban & Associates
Annapolis, MD